Launch Success for H-IIA delivering 4 Payloads to Orbit

May 17, 2012

Photo: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

A Japanese H-IIA Launch Vehicle operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries blasted off from Tanegashima Space Center's Launch Pad No.1 on Thursday, May 17, at 16:39 GMT carrying four satellites to Sun Synchronous Orbit. The day's operations at the Space Center that is located at the South-Eastern tip of Tanegasima Island - South of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's main islands, started with the Rollout of the H-IIA launcher. After arriving at the Pad, technicians connected data and electrical lines and put propellant umbilicals in place before completing final close-outs and departing the launch site to set the stage for Propellant Loading. At 8:54 GMT, the complex fueling operation got underway with the Chilldown of Propellant Transfer Lines and other support equipment before Liquid Oxygen and Hydrogen started flowing into first and second stage tanks of the Vehicle. Exactly three hours later, all tanks were fully loaded with 116,600 Kilograms of cryogenic propellants and the tanking transitioned to its replenish mode to compensate for propellant evaporation. Thursday's H-IIA Flight was also a test flight of sorts as engineers had applied white insulation paint to the exterior of the second stage for the first time. This was done to evaluate whether the paint helps decrease the rate of evaporation of the Liquid Hydrogen inside the tanks. Limiting LH2 boil-off could allow the rocket to fly longer missions and reach a variety of orbits.Countdown clocks continued to tick down as the Launch Team completed checkouts of the engines, satellites, launch facilities, and tracking and control systems to make sure the vehicle was ready for the Terminal Countdown Phase starting at X-60 Minutes. This final hour of the countdown included more vehicle checkouts and re-configurations to prepare for the Automated Sequence that got underway 4 Minutes and 30 Seconds prior to blastoff. As computers were given control of the countdown, H-IIA's Propellant Tanks were pressurized for flight.

At X-3 minutes the launch vehicle switched to internal power while the satellites transitioned to battery power earlier to put them into their launch configuration. One minute before liftoff, thousands of Kilograms of water were being poured over the launch platform to surpress the acoustic loads of liftoff. Launch Vehicle Ordnances were armed at X-30 Seconds and the Guidance System of the Vehicle switched to Flight Mode 12 Seconds later before the Sparklers underneath the LE-7A main engine ignited to burn off residual Hydrogen. Ignition Sequence Start was commanded at X-5.2 Seconds and the LE-7A soared to life as its turbopump was spinning up to flight speed being monitored by on-board computers to make sure the powerplant was healthy before the two 77,000-Kilogram Solid Rocket Boosters were ignited. Blastoff was on time at the opening of the three-minute launch window at 1:39am local time and the 53-meter launcher thundered into the dark Japanese Sky making its vertical ascent with a liftoff thrust of 5,598 Kilonewtons. Rolling and pitching on its precisely calculated course, the Rocket departed Tanegashima Island and started to fly south to reach its cutoff point in Earth Orbit.

1 Minute and 55 Seconds into the Flight, the twin Boosters burned out after providing the major portion of thrust during the initial ascent phase. Booster separation occurred 10 Seconds later and the Core Stage continued powered ascent. Just after 4 Minutes into the mission, the protective Payload Fairing was jettisoned as thermal and aerodynamic loads decreased when the launcher left the dense portion of Earth's atmosphere. At an altitude of 301 Kilometers and a Speed of 3,600 meters per second, the first stage shut down and separated from the H-IIA. The second stage ignited its LE-5B Engine that provides 137 Kilonewtons of thrust. This engine burn was 8 Minutes and 36 Seconds in duration and concluded at X+15:26 at an altitude of 676 Kilometers while the vehicle had achieved its orbital velocity of 7.5 Kilometers per Second. KOMPSAT-3 was the first Payload to be released after just 50 seconds of re-orientation maneuvers. Payload Adapters were jettisoned to expose the GCOM-1 Satellite that was launched in a position under the KOMPSAT-3 Payload and its adapter. It was released while the vehicle was 683 Kilometers above Australia. The secondary Payloads, SDS-4 and HORYU-2, were deployed at X+33:20 and X+50 Minutes, respectively. After the final Payload was released, the primary H-IIA Mission came to a successful end. The second stage continued its mission with checkouts and tests to evaluate its on-orbit capabilities and assess the LH2 evaporation rate with the new insulation. All payloads were released to Sun-Synchronous Orbits with an inclination of 98.2 degrees. The two Main Satellites that were deployed on this flight will use their own propulsion assets to maneuver to their operational orbits. GCOM-W1 stands for Global Change Observation Mission – Water Satellite 1 and is a Japanese Earth Observation Satellite. The Spacecraft is set to examine global water circulation and climate change – monitoring Earth’s health from space. The satellite has been nicknamed ‘Shizuku’ which means 'drop'. The Spacecraft has a liftoff mass of 1,900 Kilograms. It features two deployable solar array that will supply the instruments with electrical power – generating about 4,500 Watts of power. Shizuku operates from a Sun Synchronous Orbit with a altitude of 700 Kilometers and an Inclination of 98.2 Degrees.

Photo: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Image: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

The Shizuku Spacecraft features two main instruments that are used for Earth Observation, the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 and the Second Generation Global Imager. Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2, or AMSR2, observes water related targets including precipitation, water vapor, sea surface wind speed, sea surface temperature, soil moisture, and snow depth. The Second Generation Global Imager is an instrument used for surface and atmospheric measurements of phenomena involved in the carbon cycle and radiation budget, for example clouds, aerosol, ocean color, vegetation, and snow and ice. GCOM W1 will operate in orbit for at least five years.

Image: KARI/DLR/Astrium

The second payload for this flight is KOMPSAT-3. Its full name is Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite 3 Project. KOMPSAT-3 is a powerful Earth Observation satellite. The project is managed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. The satellite has a liftoff mass of about 800 Kilograms. Images provided by the optical instrument will have a resolution of less than 1 meter. Imagery acquired via KOMPSAT-3 will be used for Geographical Information Systems and other environmental, agricultural and oceanographic monitoring applications. The optical instrument was built by Astrium. Maximum Resolution is 0.7 meters. Two secondary payloads were mounted on the Main Payload Adapter of the H-2A Rocket and have been released after the main spacecraft were deployed. More information on both of the main payloads as well as the two secondary microsatellites can be found here. Today's Flight marked the 21st Flight of the H-IIA and its 15th consecutive success. It was the 10th flight of the 202 Configuration of the Launcher.

Mission Information

Ascent Timeline

Time

Event

Altitude km

Velocity km/s

T-0

Booster Ignition

0

0

LIFTOFF

0

0.4

T+1:55

Solid Rocket Booster Burnout

51

1.5

T+2:05

Solid Rocket Booster Jettison

59

1.5

T+4:10

Payload Fairing Jettison

148

1.9

T+6:36

First Stage Cutoff

301

3.6

T+6:44

Stage Separation

313

3.6

T+6:50

Second Stage Ignition

322

3.5

T+15:26

Second Stage Cutoff

676

7.5

T+16:16

KOMPSAT-3 Separation

676

7.5

T+19:21

Payload Adapter Jettison

679

7.5

T+19:26

Payload Cylinder Jettison

679

7.5

T+23:11

Shizuku Separation

683

7.5

T+33:20

SDS-4 Separation

696

7.5

T+50:00

HORYU-2 Separation

692

7.5

T+55:00

End of Mission

Ground Track Map

Map: JAXA

Payload Configuration

Rollout complete, Countdown Operations Underway

May 7, 2012

Countdown Operations are underway at the Tanegeshima Space Center, Japan, to make final preparations for the Launch of an H-IIA 202 Rocket carring two Earth Observation Satellites and two secondary Payloads for technical demonstrations in space.The Countdown started with the Rollout of the H-IIA Launcher. Being rolled on rail tracks on top of a mobile transporter, the vehicle started its 500-meter trip from the Final Integration Facility to the Launch Pad at 3:30 GMT and arrived at the Launch Site just 26 minutes later. Once at the pad, the vehicle was secured and final reconfiguration as well a close-outs were completed by technicians before departing the complex and blast danger area in preparation for propellant loading. The Launch Team verified operational conditions of the launch vehicle, satellites, launch facilities, and tracking and control systems, as well as weather conditions, before the Propellant Loading Process started at 8:45 GMT. As countdown operations progress, propellant loading will be completed and the topping sequence will get underway. At X-60 Minutes (instead of T- or L-, the H-IIA Countdown Clocks use X- Time), the Terminal Countdown Sequence will start. During the final hour of the countdown, last-minute items will be closed out and the vehicle will be reconfigured for the Automatic Countdown Sequence starting just 4.5 minutes prior to blastoff. Launch is planned for a three-minute window opening at 16:39 GMT. During its 50-minute Flight, H-IIA will deploy four satellites. The Japanese GCOM-1 or 'Shizuku' Spacecraft will observe the world's climate and water cycle as part of an international effort to monitor climate phenomena around the globe; KOMPSAT-3 of South Korea will make Earth Observations using an optical payload and the two secondary payloads will demonstrate technology in space and provide Education/Public Outreach Capabilities. A full Payload Overview for H-IIA Flight 21 can be found here.For more information on the H-IIA Vehicle, visit our Launch Vehicle Overview. Live Updates of today's Terminal Countdown and Ascent will be coming via @SPACEFLIGHT101 on Twitter. A Live Webcast of the Flight will be available here starting at 16:10 GMT.Photo Gallery: H-IIA Rollout

Photo: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Final Launch Preparations underway

May 15, 2012

_Final
Preparations for Flight 21 of Japan’s H-IIA Launch Vehicle to deliver four
satellites to Orbit are underway. Launch remains set for May 17 from 16:32 to
16:42 UTC from the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan.
Late in April, the Payload Integration Process
started. At the Spacecraft and Fairing Assembly Building, the GCOM-1 Satellite
was attached to its Payload Attach Fitting and integrated with the other
Payloads. The two small secondary Payloads, SDS-4 and HORYU-2, were also mated to the Payload Attach Fitting. On top of the GCOM-1 Satellite, a Payload
Adapter was installed to allow the KOMPSAT-3 Spacecraft to be installed on top
of the other main payload. The Payload Integration Process was finished with
the installation of the protective Payload Fairing that was supplied by
Kawasaki. Earlier in May, the Upper Composite was installed on the H-IIA 202
Launch Vehicle to complete Launch Vehicle Integration. For more information on
the Flight Profile and Ascent Ground Track, refer to the Mission Information
Section below. A detailed Payload Overview is available here.The Japanese Space Agency will provide a Launch Webcast starting at 16:10 GMT on Thursday.

Image: JAXA

Japan prepares for next Orbital Launch Attempt

May 1, 2012

Photo: JAXA

_Japan is preparing for its
next Orbital Launch Attempt set for May 17, 2012 during a three-minute launch
window starting at 16:39 GMT. An H-IIA Launch Vehicle will blast off from the Yoshinobu
Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center. It will be Japan’s first launch
of 2012 and the 21st Flight of the H-IIA Launcher. Two main
payloads, a Japanese Earth Observation Satellite and a Korean Earth Imaging
Satellite, will be delivered to Sun Synchronous Orbits on this Flight. Also,
two small secondary satellites will be released during the flight. A full
Payload Overview is available here: